RESOLUTE PERFORMANCE PLEASES CITY BOSS

City boss Russell Slade addressed the press following City’s 0-0 draw with Birmingham City on Saturday evening.

“It wasn’t a classic match in the first period, but the onus is not on us as the away team,” Russell said. “I thought we managed the game very well, created two good chances and should have taken one of them. Second half was a little bit end-to-end, two offside goals and they were offside.

“Either team could have taken an opportunity, I thought we put a number of good balls into the box to try and get a goal but it wasn’t to be, but it’s a clean sheet and that’s important to us.

“We were resolute at the back and that gets you results. It’s definitely progress, the players now realise how hard you have to work to get a point away from home and more importantly to get a clean-sheet.

“I think that’s the first one in I don’t know how many games. We need more performances like that away from home and to continue with our home form which has been nice and solid to date. We’ve got time to regroup and again work harder.”

A resolute performance from the Bluebirds as they aim to turn the tides away from home, Russell commented on his sides strength, adding:“To be honest with a third game in seven days we could not have put in that kind of shift a few weeks ago, We were not physically or mentally ready to put in a shift of that nature.

“It’s a sign of progress. We use that as a platform and we move on because if you don’t move on you get run over in this game.”